Thomas Keneally was born today in writing history, October 7. Celebrate the author’s birthday by learning more about his life and contributions to literature. Aspiring writers should also use this opportunity as a writing exercise. Look for inspiration today in writing history.
Today in Writing: October 7: Thomas Keneally’s Birthday
Thomas Keneally was born on October 7, 1935. He is best known for his novel, Schindler’s Ark. The historical book tells the tale of Oskar Schindler and his efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust. It would inspire the 1993 film Schindler’s List.
Through his writing, Keneally can give new life to a story from the past. His tale, based on the real-life endeavors of Schindler, was inspired by Poldek Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor. Find your inspiration in the stories, works, and words in this installment of Today in Writing: October 7.
Writing Prompts for Today In Writing: October 7
Please take this opportunity to learn more about Thomas Keneally and his contributions to the writing world. The author’s ability to retell stories from history with a modern touch helps keep the past in the present. His library of published works has attained well-known fame as he continues to breathe life into the past.
What led Thomas Keneally to be a writer? Where did the inspiration to tell his stories come from? And what helped the author create his way of writing? Find inspiration about Keneally, learn more details about his life, and write!
Thomas Keneally Biography
Thomas Michael Keneally was born in Sydney, Australia, on October 7, 1935. His father, Edmund Thomas Keneally, flew with the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War. His mother was Elsie Margaret Coyle. Both of Thomas’s parents came from Irish families.
Thomas Keneally, Priesthood
As a boy, Thomas Keneally attended Christian Brothers St Patrick’s College, a Catholic primary and secondary school. He studied Honours English and graduated in 1952. Keneally would enroll at St Patrick’s Seminary to become an ordained priest. However, after attending six years, he would leave the seminary unordained and depressed.
Keneally as an Educator
Following the seminary, Thomas Keneally would find work as a high school teacher in Syndey from 1960 to 1964. It was during this time that Keneally started work as a serious author. His first story was published in The Bulletin, an Australian magazine, in 1962 under a pseudonym. His first novel, The Place at Whitton, was published in 1964, the same year the author left his role as a high school educator. Thomas Keneally would continue his work in education as he gained notoriety as an author. The University of New England, the University of California, and several other institutions would host Keneally as a Professor and lecturer.
Thomas Keneally, Writing
Following the publication of his first novel, Keneally began serious work as a writer and has authored over 50 books and plays. The author’s writing centers around history, and he has produced both novels and non-fictional texts. Thomas Keneally would be awarded several honors and laurels for his work. Bring Larks and Heroes, published in 1967, is a historical novel set in Australia during its days as a penal colony. It would win the Miles Franklin Award the same year.
Schindler’s List, Thomas Keneally
Keneally’s most well-known novel is Schindler’s Ark, published in 1982 and later under Schindler’s List. It tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist and member of the Nazi Party during the Second World War. The narrative is based on actual people and events, with Keneally adding fictional aspects where exact details are unknown.
Oskar Schindler saved the lives of 1100 Jews during the Holocaust. Defying Nazi ideology, Schindler would fight against the evil around him to save as many lives as possible, an act that put himself in grave danger. He is buried in Jerusalem with the honor of “Righteous Among the Nations.”
Inspiration for Schindler’s List
Thomas Keneally dedicated Schindler’s Ark to Poldek Pfefferberg, “who by zeal and persistence caused this book to be written.” Pfefferberg, also known as Leopold Page, was a Holocaust survivor saved by the efforts of Oskar Schindler. Following World War II, he worked ceaselessly to find someone to tell Schindler’s Story. In his own words, “Schindler gave me my life, and I tried to give him immortality.”
In October 1980, Thomas Keneally met Poldek Pfefferberg in his Beverly Hills shop while shopping for a briefcase. Keneally was already a well-known author by this time. After learning this, Pfefferberg invited Keneally to the back, where he kept extensive files on Oskar Schindler and his story. After 50 minutes, the author was inspired to write the story. Two years later, the novel was published. In 1993, Schindler’s List was adapted to film, where it received massive praise and acknowledgment.
Thomas Keneally’s Writing Style, Reviving History
Thomas Keneally’s writing draws deep inspiration from history. Through his writing style, Keneally can breathe new life into stories and ideas from the past, put them into perspective for a modern audience, and weave a tale that captivates a global audience. Novels like Schindler’s Ark can immortalize heroes, and writing like Keneally’s does it in a way that creates a powerful and long-lasting image.
Notable Thomas Keneally Books
The Place at Whitton (1964)
The Fear (1965)
Bring Larks and Heroes (1967)
Three Cheers for the Paraclete (1968)
The Survivor (1969)
A Dutiful Daughter (1971)
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1972)
Blood Red, Sister Rose (1974)
Moses the Lawgiver (1975)
Gossip from the Forest (1975)
Season in Purgatory (1976)
Ned Kelly and the City of the Bees (1978)
A Victim of the Aurora (1978)
Passenger (1979)
Confederates (1979)
The Cut-Rate Kingdom (1980)
Schindler’s Ark (1982)
A Family Madness (1985)
The Playmaker (1987)
An Angel in Australia (2000)
The Tyrant’s Novel (2003)
The Commonwealth of Thieves: The Story of the Founding of Australia (2005)
The Widow and Her Hero (2007)
The People’s Train (2009)
The Daughters of Mars (2012)
Today in Writing: October 7 – 5 Thomas Keneally Quotes
Thomas Keneally’s writing creates new ideas from old events. Literature allows readers to explore morality and reflect on their nature. Using history as a vehicle, an author can tell the same stories to a modern audience. Aspiring writers can find inspiration in his phoenix-like writing.
5 Thomas Keneally Quotes
1. I must apologize because I know all writers have memories of being on the outer because it’s the children on the side of the playground who become the dangerous writers.
2. It’s only when you abandon your ambitions that they become possible.
3. And it is a folly to try to craft a novel for the screen, to write a novel with a screen contract in mind.
4. So I was very close to ordination. I was delighted to be ordained a deacon, which is the last step between, before becoming a priest. But then it all fell apart.
5. In a way Australia is like Catholicism. The company is sometimes questionable and the landscape is grotesque. But you always come back.
Today in Writing: October 7 – Daily Writing Exercise
Now that you have done some reading, it is time to write. Aspiring writers should look to the stories from Today in Writing: October 7 and Thomas Keneally’s life for their own inspiration. Check through his quotes to spark an idea, or read his novels to get a sense of his writing style.
Find a topic from and freewrite for 10 minutes. The writing of Thomas Keneally comes from a deep interest in the past. Aspiring writers should look for inspiration in the author’s metaphorical words and start writing.
Don’t let any opportunity to write go to waste. Aspiring writers: Practice your writing today. Celebrate Today in Writing History October 7.
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